NEWARK, New Jersey (AFP) — Martin Brodeur, the goaltender who helped the New Jersey Devils win three National Hockey League titles, will have left elbow surgery Thursday and figures to miss most of the current season.
Devils general manager Lou Maoriello said Tuesday that the 36-year-old Canadian will undergo the operation to repair a left elbow bicep but would not say how long Brodeur is expected to be sidelined.
The Newark Star-ledger reported that Brodeur, who has backstopped the defense-minded Devils for 13 years, could miss three to four months.
Such an extended layoff would be a major blow for the Devils, who have seen Brodeur between the pipes in at least 70 games a season for the past 10 campaigns.
Approaching NHL career records for triumphs and shutouts, Brodeur goes under the knife just seven victories shy of matching Patrick Roy's all-time NHL win record of 551 and five shutouts shy of Terry Sawchuk's record of 103 blankings.
Last season, Brodeur played in 75 games with a 44-27 with six regulation draws and a 2.17 goals-against average.
Brodeur suffered the injury Saturday in the second period of a 6-1 victory over Atlanta. His career-long streak of 51 regular-season starts was snapped Monday in a 2-0 loss to Buffalo when Kevin Weekes filled in as netminder.
Brodeur is 5-2-2 this season with two shutouts and a 2.27 goals-against average.
Weekes, 33, has a career mark of 98-159 with 39 regulation draws in 10 seasons.
With six wins and 14 points through 11 games, the Devils trail only league pace-setter New York Rangers in the NHL Atlantic division.
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